Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Science: Industry

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the impact of uncertainty regarding Brexit on the UK science industry.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to making the UK a global science superpower and a magnet for brilliant people and businesses from across the world - building on our position of existing global excellence. That is why we have affirmed our commitment to increasing R&D investment to at least 2.4% of GDP and will be setting out plans to reach this later this Autumn, providing long-term certainty to the scientific community. We have also recently announced that we intend to launch a comprehensive UK Space Strategy, introduce a fast-track immigration scheme for top scientists and researchers and develop proposals for a new funding agency. The Government has committed to guarantee funding for all successful eligible UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before the end of 2020, for the lifetime of projects. We have also guaranteed funding for participation in all Horizon 2020 projects open to third countries after exit, which are collaborative projects. The Science Minister has written to his counterparts across the EU to set this out. In a no deal Exit scenario, the guarantee would cover funding for all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 submitted before the UK leaves the EU, even if they are notified of their success after exit. The guarantee would apply for the lifetime of projects. Again, in a no deal scenario, the extension to the guarantee would cover funding for all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participants submitted from the date of exit until the end of 2020. Like the guarantee, the extension would apply for the lifetime of projects. In addition to the Government’s no deal guarantee and extension funding commitments, we have committed to ensuring that all UK bids to mono-beneficiary ERC, MSCA and SMEi (now known as European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator) calls that are submitted to Horizon 2020 before Exit are evaluated in all scenarios. This means researchers and innovators can continue to submit proposals to Horizon 2020 with confidence, right up to the point of exit, knowing that the best proposals will be funded – regardless of how we leave the EU.

Science: EU Grants and Loans

lord watson of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Royal Society that Britishscience has lost approximately€500 million in EU funding as a result of uncertainty around Brexit.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government has committed to guarantee funding for all successful eligible UK bids to Horizon 2020 that are submitted before the end of 2020, for the lifetime of projects. We have also guaranteed funding for participation in all Horizon 2020 projects open to third countries after exit, which are collaborative projects. The Science Minister has written to his counterparts across the EU to set this out. UK researchers and innovators have continued to be successful in securing European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funding, with the UK consistently ranking first in both areas since the beginning of Horizon 2020 in 2014. In addition, the Government has committed to ensuring that all UK bids to mono-beneficiary ERC, MSCA and SMEi (now known as European Innovation Council Accelerator) calls that are submitted to Horizon 2020 before Exit are evaluated in all scenarios. This means researchers and innovators can continue to submit proposals to Horizon 2020 with confidence, right up to the point of exit, knowing that the best proposals will be funded – regardless of how we leave the EU. Looking ahead, we have also affirmed our commitment to increasing R&D investment to at least 2.4% of GDP and will be setting our plans to reach this later this Autumn, providing long-term certainty to the scientific community. Additionally, the Government remains committed to ensuring that world leading talent is attracted to and retained within the UK. On 8 August, the Prime Minister announced a new fast-track immigration scheme aimed at enabling a wider pool of scientific talent to come to the UK. This scheme will ensure that those with specialist skills in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects can come to the UK and make an important contribution to our leading science and research sectors, significantly enhancing the intellectual and knowledge base of the UK.

Post Offices: Rural Areas

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote access to, and services provided by, rural post offices; and wwhether they will provide an update on the status of the Post Office Card Account.

lord duncan of springbank: Government committed in its 2017 manifesto to safeguard the Post Office network and protect existing rural services, recognising the important role post offices play in serving their communities. The Government promotes access to rural post offices by setting accessibility criteria which the Post Office must meet. This ensures that in rural areas over 95% of people are within 3 miles of their nearest post office service. In remote and rural areas where it is difficult to deliver services to consumers via a permanent site, Post Office Limited use outreach services, such as a mobile van, or a village hall. These offer the same products and services as bricks-and-mortar branches. In recent years the Government has provided over £2bn investment into the Post Office which has seen over 7700 branches modernised, many thousands in rural areas. Having a modern accessible network enables the Post Office to secure and deliver services for customers, such as banking, bill payment and mails services, across the whole network, including rural areas, where in many cases the post office is the last shop in the village. The contract for the Post Office Card Account (POca) is a commercial matter for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Post Office Limited (POL). The contract will come to an end on 30 November 2021. DWP is working with Post Office Limited (POL) to prepare POca users for this by undertaking a project to move significant volumes of existing POca service users onto a mainstream bank account. Those POca customers who transition to a mainstream account will still be able to access their pension and benefit payments via the post office.   For claimants who are unable to open a mainstream account ahead of this date, DWP will implement an alternative payment service that allows users to obtain cash payments whatever their location before the end of the contract.

Perfume: Chemicals

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the chemicals contained in perfume and fragrance products, and any potential risks to human health.

lord duncan of springbank: Perfume and fragrance manufacturers are required under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (“the Cosmetic Products Regulation”) to ensure that their products, including any chemical ingredients, are safe for human health. All cosmetic products must undergo a safety assessment. Annex III of the Cosmetic Products Regulation requires that the use of certain substances is subject to restriction. The presence of a substance listed in Annex III must be indicated in a product’s list of ingredients, in addition to the words parfum or aroma. At the moment, 26 fragrance allergens are listed in in this Annex, and the list of allergenic fragrances is kept under review. A Cosmetic Product Safety Report must be compiled before the product is placed on the market. This report may be inspected at any time by the enforcement authority.

Perfume: Labelling

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements are placed on producers of perfume and fragrance products to list their ingredients on product packaging.

lord duncan of springbank: Under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (“the Cosmetics Regulation”) containers or packaging of cosmetic products (or on an enclosed or attached documentation) must set out a list of ingredients, including perfume and aromatic compositions and their raw materials. These perfume and aromatic compositions must be referred to as ‘parfum’ or ‘aroma’. Annex III of the Cosmetic Products Regulation requires that the use of certain substances is subject to restriction. The presence of a substance listed in Annex III must be indicated in a product’s list of ingredients, in addition to the words parfum or aroma. At the moment, 26 fragrance allergens are listed in in this Annex. The labelling must be on the carton, or if there is no outer packaging, then on the container. If the perfume or fragrance is small and difficult to label, the ingredient list may be on a leaflet provided with the product, or displayed close to where the product is offered for sale.

Perfume: Safety

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what requirements are placed on perfume and fragrance manufacturers (1) to test, and (2) to demonstrate, the safety of their products for human health.

lord duncan of springbank: Perfume and fragrance manufacturers are required under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products to ensure that their products are safe for human health. All cosmetics products must undergo a safety assessment. A Cosmetic Product Safety Report must be compiled before the product is placed on the market which may be inspected at any time by the enforcement authority.

Perfume: Safety

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to change product safety and labelling requirements relating to perfume and fragrance products if the UK leaves the EU.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government is committed to maintaining the same high standards of product safety and labelling for perfume and fragrance products when the UK leaves the EU.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Smart Export Guarantee Tariff perkilowatt hour as proposed will be the same for (1) small commercial, (2) household, and (3) community-owned generators.

lord duncan of springbank: The Smart Export Guarantee will be a market-based mechanism, with suppliers free to set prices, in line with government’s objective to move towards market pricing. The level of tariffs will be for relevant suppliers to determine, other than a requirement for them to provide a remuneration for exported electricity that is greater than zero at all times of export.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of Smart Export Guarantee Tariff that will be necessary to give communities a viable route to market for the electricity they generate from (1) hydro, (2) onshore wind, and (3) solar sources; and what, if any, economic appraisal has been made of the potential (a) economic development, and (b) environmental benefits, of restoring access to the generation markets for community owned generators, following the demise of the Feed-in Tariff scheme.

lord duncan of springbank: The Smart Export Guarantee will be a market-based mechanism, with suppliers free to set prices, in line with government’s objective to move towards market pricing. The level of tariffs will be for relevant suppliers to determine, other than a requirement for them to provide a remuneration for exported electricity that is greater than zero at all times of export. An Impact Assessment for the Smart Export Guarantee was published on 10 June 2019, which also considers the potential impact of this new policy on deployment of low-carbon generation, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality. It is available at the Gov.uk website.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Palestinians: Detainees

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling by the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on 10 October which banned the publication of any details regarding certain detainees’ cases and therefore prevents Addameer the Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association from expressing concern for the well-being and health of those detainees.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any assessment on this issue, the Government has concerns about mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, and about Israel’s respect of its obligations in this regard under applicable international law. We have raised concerns over treatment of Palestinian minors detained by the Israeli authorities on many occasions, most recently on 27 August. We have concerns over the continued transfer of Palestinian child and adult detainees to prisons inside Israel in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. ​

Gaza: Breast Cancer

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of, and access to, urgent treatment for breast cancer by women in Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on movement and access in Gaza, and the impact that this is having on the humanitarian situation. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the matter of medical permits with the Israeli authorities. Israeli restrictions severely restrict the movement of medical professionals, patients and families from Gaza, hampering the provision of quality health services, as well as impacting Palestinians in the West Bank. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa also raised this issue with the Israeli Ambassador on 22 October. The situation in Gaza is particularly acute, and is compounded by frequent closure by Egypt of the Rafah crossing, preventing urgent medical cases from seeking treatment in Egypt. A lasting resolution to the situation is needed that will ensure that all those who are in need of medical attention and their families have unimpeded access to healthcare provisions. We call on the Israeli Government to ease restrictions further and for Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt to work together to ensure a durable solution for Gaza.

Chile: Politics and Government

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thesituation in Chile.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The United Kingdom Government is concerned at events that have occurred in Chile in recent days. We condemn the violence that has occurred and welcome the efforts of everyone who is working to restore the situation in the country to peace and normality. Our Embassy in Santiago are in close contact with the Chilean authorities, and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Palestinians: Political Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the reported detention of (1) Adnan Ghaith,(2) Shadi Mutawar, and (3) Yasser Darwish; and what responses they have received.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not raised these specific cases, we urge Israel to respect the role of Palestinian institutions and politicians serving Palestinians in East Jerusalem. British ministers and officials continue to make repeated representations to the Israeli Government about their extensive use of administrative detentions. According to international law, these should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees.

Guyana: Elections

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken sincethe joint statement by the UK High Commissioner, the United States Ambassador, and the EU Ambassador, to Guyana, published on 19 September, calling on the President of Guyana “to set an elections date immediately in full compliance with Guyana’s constitution”; and what plans they have to support such an election to be held in an open and transparent manner.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We note the President of The Cooperative Republic of Guyana's announcement of a firm election date of 2 March 2020.The UK continues to work with the Guyanese authorities, our international partners, multilateral bodies and local stakeholders to ensure free and fair elections, through elections assistance and monitoring.

Iran: Nuclear Fuels

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which areas Iran has breached the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; and whyHer Majesty's Government have not withdrawn from that Plan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We remain fully committed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), a key achievement of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, which is in our shared security interests. Since July, Iran has exceeded key JCPoA limits on uranium enrichment, uranium stockpiles and on 7 September announced suspension of the JCPoA's nuclear research and development restrictions. We are deeply concerned by Iran's steps to reduce compliance with the deal. We are working closely with remaining JCPoA parties to address this and we urge Iran to reverse the steps it has taken.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health: Screening

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to establish mandatory annual health screenings.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department does not have any plans to establish mandatory annual health screenings. Screening in the United Kingdom is undertaken through informed consent. There are 11 national screening programmes that are recommended by the UK National Screening Committee, which cover 37 conditions across adults and babies (antenatal and neonatal). Approximately 11 million people are invited to participate in screening programmes each year. There is also the NHS Health Check service which is a health check-up for adults in England aged 40-74 every five years. It is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or dementia. The Government’s recent Green Paper Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s announced the intention to undertake a review of the NHS Health Checks programme to maximise the benefits it delivers in the next decade. Professor Richards’ review of National Adult Screening programmes was published on 16 October and as part of this review it explored the future of screening. The Department, NHS England and Public Health England will consider the recommendations of Professor Richards’ report and publish an implementation plan in due course.

Dental Services

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in respone to the shortage of National Health Service dentists.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The latest headcount data published by NHS Digital show that the total number of dentists actively delivering National Health Service services increased from 24,308 to 24,545 during the period 2017/18 to 2018/19. Both NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) have initiatives in place to tackle recruitment and retention issues. HEE’s current programme Advancing Dental Care is exploring the opportunities for flexible dental training pathways that can better serve patients as well as improving dental workforce retention. NHS England is introducing ‘flexible commissioning’, which allows local NHS commissioners to commission a wider range of services from dental practices which is expected to make NHS dentistry more attractive to newly qualified dentists. These initiatives sit alongside the Department’s and NHS England’s work to reform the current NHS dental contract to support dentists to deliver preventatively focussed care. The patient pathway in the new model makes greater use of the whole dental team including nurses and therapists which moves away from needing dentists to complete every course of treatment. The interim NHS People Plan, published in June 2019, sets out plans for the future dental workforce. This commits to creating a capable and motivated multidisciplinary dental workforce, of a sufficient size, to meet population health needs.

Hospitals: Food

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of food served in English hospitals is (a) organic, and (b) locally sourced; and what plans they have, if any, to increase that percentage.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Data on the percentage of organic and locally sourced food served in English hospitals is not collected centrally.On 17 June 2019, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a root and branch review of the food provided in National Health Service hospitals for patients, visitors and staff which will include ensuring that food provided in the NHS is sustainable, in line with the aims of the Government’s National Food Strategy.

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of research by the Universities of Tehran Medical Sciences and Birmingham into the effectiveness of the polypill in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke; and what plans they have to use the polypill for NHS patients.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The full study results have not been evaluated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as no application to market the product in the United Kingdom has been received.Currently, there are no polypills (containing multiple medicines) approved in the UK or Europe. Specific combinations of two medicines for blood pressure control or a statin and aspirin only at appropriate doses are licensed and available for use in the UK for those patients with high blood pressure or high cholesterol.There are safety risks combining multiple medicines and using them as a public health preventative strategy particularly in people who have no symptoms or diagnosable disease. These arise from interactions between medications including potentiation of effects, individual differences and susceptibilities as well as long term effects. Prior to licensing such a polypill combination, these aspects will need to be evaluated.

Counselling and Psychiatry: Training

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to regulate the qualifications and training of psychotherapists and counsellors.

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on vulnerable people of unqualified psychotherapists and counsellors providing treatment.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has no plans to extend professional regulation to psychotherapists or counsellors.Statutory regulation should only be considered where the risks to public and patient protection cannot be addressed in other more proportionate ways (such as through employer oversight or accredited voluntary registration).Any employed health or care practitioner, whether regulated or unregulated, will be subject to employer checks. Depending on the role they perform, in particular if their role brings them in contact with vulnerable people, this may include a Disclosure and Barring Service check in England or Wales or the equivalent check from Disclosure Scotland or Disclosure Northern Ireland.The Professional Standards Authority currently accredits 10 voluntary registers relating to psychotherapy and counselling and covering approximately 50,000 talking therapy professionals.We urge anyone seeking the services of a psychotherapist or counsellor to take the time to find a reputable, insured and appropriately qualified practitioner.

NHS: Drugs

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with theMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency about licensing the polypill in the absence of applications by pharmaceutical companies.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: There have not been any recent meetings with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) about licensing the polypill in the absence of applications from pharmaceutical companies.The MHRA is only able to grant a marketing authorisation once the legislative requirements for placing on the market of the product are fulfilled. Prior to approval, the marketing authorisation holder will need to generate and provide adequate evidence of quality, safety and efficacy for the product in a particular group of people (indication). In the absence of a marketing authorisation holder, an application seeking the licence, or data supporting the product, the MHRA is unable to authorise any product. Moreover, the MHRA is not able to compel any sponsor to make an application. The MHRA has over the years contributed to the European guideline, supporting the development of such combination products and has provided scientific advice to companies to facilitate development of polypill product.

Dental Health: Training

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto include oral health in pre-registration training for all public health professionals, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeon's Faculty of Dental Surgery's report The state of children's oral health in England, published in August.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The independent professional health and care regulators set the outcomes required from undergraduate (and in some cases postgraduate) education and training for registration as a healthcare professional. It is for education training providers to determine the content of training in order to meet these required outcomes.Health Education England has an important role in supporting health and care professionals, including public health professionals, to promote good health, including good oral health and has a number of free to access resources to guide good practice in this area. This includes e-learning, evidence-based toolkits and competency frameworks.

NHS: Negligence

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each of the last three years, (1) what was the total cost of clinical negligence cases to the NHS, (2) how many cases were resolved prior to going to court, (3) howmany cases went to court; and(4) what was the percentage of those cases which were won by the NHS.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England.NHS Resolution has provided the following information:The total cost of clinical negligence cases to the NHS.2016/172017/182018/19£1,707.2 million£2,275.5 million£2,359.9 million The number of cases resolved prior to going to court.2016/172017/182018/1910,99611,41711,255  The number of cases that went to court.2016/172017/182018/191287253  The percentage of those cases which were won by the NHS.2016/172017/182018/1956%65%57% Note:The above figures are in relation to the NHS in England only (Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts and other relevant schemes).The figures provided do not include claims brought against general practice.

Department for International Development

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they intend to have with the Pakistan Public Services Commissions about ways in which to support the training and professional development of workers from religious minority backgrounds; andwhat plans they have to increase aid funding to be used for training teachers in Pakistan to promote freedom of religion or belief.

baroness sugg: We have already funded teacher training modules on equity and inclusion delivered to nearly 100,000 teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. UK aid prioritises support for the poorest and most excluded people and communities in Pakistan regardless of race, religion, social background or nationality. DFID Pakistan is currently developing new education programmes and as part of this process we will actively consider what we can do to benefit these groups.

Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include modules on freedom of religion or belief in all existing and future Department for International Development capacity building programmes.

baroness sugg: DFID’s increasing use of country context analysis has improved the way in which religious dynamics and religious groups are factored into country programmes. Through this process, DFID identifies the most significant problems that hinder development and the main entry points and opportunities to create change. This includes the role of religion and freedom of religion or belief. Through UK Aid Connect, DFID is funding a consortium led by the Institute of Development Studies to address the challenges in building tolerance and freedom of religion or belief. In November 2018, Lord Ahmad and Lord Bates launched this £12 million initiative which will contribute to making poverty reduction programmes more inclusive, by highlighting and redressing religious inequalities, with a focus on highly volatile contexts.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support the government of Pakistan to developfinancial incentives for parents from marginalised religious minority communities to register their children upon birth, and to send them to schools.

baroness sugg: DFID supports the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) which is the Government of Pakistan’s national social protection scheme. Under the BISP education programme, a total of 3.2 million children will be supported to enrol and stay in primary schools. Targeting is based on poverty status, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, and encourages parents to provide the birth registration certificate as part of enrolment into the programme. We do not support financial incentives for any parents to register the birth of their children, as our assessment is that this is not the most appropriate tool to improve birth registration. However, we will continue to actively engage with the Government of Pakistan to promote increased accessibility to birth registration services for marginalised and hard to reach groups, including for religious minorities. We are also designing interventions under our Aawaz II programme to directly work with groups like religious minorities in communities to better access services.

Pakistan: Minority Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require organisations that receive UK aid funding for projects in Pakistan to hire at least 5per cent of any in-country staff from minority communities.

baroness sugg: We do not have any plans to require recruitment by quota for DFID funded programmes. People from minority communities may be reluctant to disclose their minority status, which makes it difficult to count and monitor against this metric. However, our programme documentation makes clear that we require our partners to avoid discriminatory practices in recruitment as well as take action on safeguarding. Our Aawaz programme has helped members of minority communities to challenge discrimination and its successor Aawaz 2 will continue this work.

Burma: Rohingya

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the safe and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.

baroness sugg: We are clear that the repatriation process for Rohingya refugees must be safe, voluntary and dignified, and meet international humanitarian principles and standards. We agree with the UN Refugee Agency that conditions for such repatriation do not yet exist in Rakhine State, Myanmar. We have pressed and continue to press the Government of Myanmar for full implementation of the Kofi Annan Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations to create the conditions for the safe and voluntary returns of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. A recent escalation of violence in Rakhine State between the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine separatist group, and the Myanmar military is a further barrier to returns. An end to the fighting will be important to de-escalate tensions and create space for progress on the conditions for returns. The UK has recently announced further funding to the crisis, bringing our total commitment to the response in Bangladesh since August 2017 to £256 million, and making us the second largest donor to the 2019 international Joint Response Plan. We welcome Bangladesh’s continued commitment to the principle of voluntary, safe and dignified returns and encourage the Government of Myanmar to pursue the dialogue it started with Rohingya refugees in July 2019.

Burma: Rohingya

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide sexual and reproductive health and rights services to Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting those refugees.

baroness sugg: The UK is supporting partners including the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Population Fund to deliver the Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health in Crises to Rohingya refugees and those living in the host communities. This includes comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services, such as a variety of family planning choices, midwifery services, and post-abortion care. Significant progress has been made since August 2017, including improved health and sanitation infrastructure; improved coverage and variety of services; 24/7 emergency care; and consistent availability of reproductive health supplies.

Bangladesh: UN Population Fund

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they have committed to support the UN Population Fund’s work in Bangladesh.

baroness sugg: DFID Bangladesh has current commitments to the United Nations Population Fund’s work in Bangladesh amounting to £20.8 million, to support strengthening of the national health system, and to provide midwifery education and services across the country, and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services for Rohingya refugees and host communities.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support host communities of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

baroness sugg: We are aware of the difficulties facing the host communities in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. Our latest £117 million funding includes over £20 million of new support to the thousands of already vulnerable Bangladeshi families, who now have nearly one million refugees living in their district. This funding will allow over 10,000 individuals of the host community to access livelihood opportunities; over 50,000 people will have improved access to safe water. Around 6,000 host community children and adolescents will access improved quality education and vocational training. Host community members will also benefit from a range of health services, including gender-based violence and sexual rights and health services. DFID is also supporting host communities in Cox's Bazar through our strategic partnership with BRAC on education, health, ultra-poor graduation, skills and climate change work.

Burma: Rohingya

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations contained in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Rights of the Rohingya's report A New Shape of Catastrophe: two years on from the 2017 Rohingya Crisis, published on 10 September.

baroness sugg: I am grateful for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Rights of the Rohingya's sustained work and attention on the Rohingya crisis response. I wrote to the Co-Chair of the Group, Anne Main MP, on 27 September in response to the report. The UK has recently announced further funding to the crisis, bringing our total commitment to the response in Bangladesh since August 2017 to £256 million, and making us the second largest donor to the 2019 international Joint Response Plan. DFID’s latest funding to the crisis will maintain and improve protection and humanitarian assistance provided to refugees, including through the provision of food, healthcare, water, sanitation, care and counselling for sexual violence survivors, and protection of vulnerable groups. Over 75,000 children and adolescents from the refugee and host communities will have access to education and skills training and over £20 million of new support will be provided to the thousands of already vulnerable Bangladeshi families in Cox’s Bazar district. The UK is also one of the largest donors in Rakhine State, Myanmar, where over 600,000 Rohingya remain in need of assistance. The UK is committed to justice for the Rohingya, and has led international efforts on sanctions and establishing an evidence gathering mechanism.

Bangladesh: Clothing

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) support, and (2) funding, they provide to the Better Work programme in Bangladesh to improve working conditions in the garment industry in that country; and which businesses that programme supports.

baroness sugg: DFID Bangladesh supports the Better Work initiative through our £6.6 million Better Jobs in Bangladesh programme, which supports improving working conditions in the ready-made garments sector of Bangladesh. The Dutch and Canadian governments co-fund this programme, making equal contributions of $16.3million. Better Work is focused on improving compliance standards in factories to reduce multiple audit requirements by buyers. Better Work is working with 210 factories to create a role model of compliance in factories in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh: Clothing

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) support, and (2) funding, they provide to the Mothers@Work initiative in Bangladesh to promote maternity rights and good working conditions for women in the garment industry in that country;and which businesses that programme supports.

baroness sugg: DFID Bangladesh supports the Mothers@Work initiative through our joint £6.6 million Better Jobs Bangladesh programme. The Dutch and Canadian governments co-fund this programme making equal contributions of $16.3million. Mother@Works is working with 82 factories with some 30,000 female workers to improve the health conditions of pregnant and nursing mothers. It does this by supporting working mothers to understand and implement their employment rights and holding employers accountable for ensuring that their female employees receive the provisions they are entitled to when they return to work.

Developing Countries: Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to prioritise marginalised people and communities in regard to sexual and reproductive health and rights; and what plans they have to discuss this matter at the 2019 Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development.

baroness sugg: The Secretary of State recently announced new UK efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030. The UK is committed to achieving universal health coverage and to achieve our goals, we must reach the most marginalised. Without sexual and reproductive health and rights, we cannot achieve universal health coverage. Our programmes are reaching the most marginalised. For example, the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health reproductive health programme uses innovative ways to identify and reach the poorest and most marginalised women with essential services across 27 countries. Our support to the Robert Carr Fund, Amplify Change and the Safe Abortion Action Fund all support grassroots organisations to campaign for and access their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The Nairobi Summit on International Conference on Population and Development 25 is an opportunity for the global community to re-state the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights including for marginalised people and communities. The UK will make our ongoing commitment clear, including our efforts on challenging issues such as female genital mutilation, child marriage and unsafe abortion in the most marginalised and hard to reach communities.

Department for Education

History: Curriculum

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the causes and consequences of the Irish famine are part of the current curriculum in English schools; and if not, whether they intend to add this to the curriculum.

lord agnew of oulton: The history curriculum gives teachers and schools the freedom and flexibility to use specific examples from history to teach pupils about the history of Britain and the wider world. Schools and teachers can determine which examples, topics and resources to use to stimulate and challenge pupils and reflect key points in history. There are opportunities within the themes and eras of the history curriculum for teachers and schools to teach the Irish Famine at key stages 1-3. Schools can teach it at key stage 1, about events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally and at key stage 2, within a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066. There are also opportunities at key stage 3, within the ‘ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901’ theme – ‘Ireland and Home Rule’ is one of the example topics in this theme - or within a local history study. The Irish Famine also falls within the scope of the subject content set out for GCSE History. One of the aims of the history curriculum is to ensure all pupils know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. This could also include teaching about Britain’s role in the abolition of slavery.

EU Grants and Loans

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to commit to funding (1) the Erasmus+, and (2) the Horizon research, programme beyond 2020.

baroness berridge: The government places great value upon international exchange and collaboration in education and training. It is also committed to continuing to back UK researchers and innovators by supporting measures to enable world-class collaborative research and innovation. This will continue to be the case after we leave the EU and establish new relationships with institutions across Europe and the rest of the world.If it is in the UK’s interests, we will seek to participate in some specific EU programmes as a third country. While the regulations for future EU programmes are still in the process of being developed, the draft Political Declaration envisages the possibility of UK participation in EU programmes like Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe post-2020. Officials are preparing for all eventualities and are considering a wide range of options with regard to the future of international exchange and cooperation in education and research.

Sugar: Schools

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage all schools to become sugar free, as recommended by the Royal College of Surgeon's Faculty of Dental Surgery's report The state of children's oral health in England, published in August.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is committed to improving children’s oral health, particularly in deprived areas. The new School Food Standards came in to force from January 2015. These standards have been widely welcomed, but since then new advice on sugar and nutrition has been published.Therefore, the Department for Education, supported by Public Health England, will update the School Food Standards in light of revised government dietary recommendations. The update will be comprehensive on reducing sugar consumption and will be coupled with detailed guidance to caterers and schools, so they are well prepared to adapt to the changes.

Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is provided for children and young people with visual impairment in (1) early years settings, and (2) schools.

lord agnew of oulton: We want early years providers and schools to have a workforce equipped to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and we are working on this with various organisations, including the National Sensory Impairment Partnership. We have recently announced a £780 million increase to local authorities’ high needs funding, increasing the budget by 12% and bringing the total spent on supporting those with the most complex needs to over £7 billion for 2020-21. This funding can be used to fund children aged 0 to 25 with complex additional needs, such as visual impairment. The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to work with parents, young people and providers to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency. We do not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding. In consultation with schools and other services, local authorities should carefully consider how best to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, including those with visual impairment.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Restaurants

lord palmer: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what was the cost of this year's refurbishment of the House of Lords' River Restaurant.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. A full refurbishment of the seating area, fridges and payment stands in the River Restaurant was carried out in September and October 2019. The new design has increased the number of available seats by four and improved the accessibility and flow of the area. The costs for this project are laid out below: Enabling and redecoration works: £35,000Equipment and fittings: £83,207 Total Cost of Project: £118,207

Peers: Harassment

lord blencathra: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what representations, if any, the House of Lords Administration has made to the Metropolitan Police regarding protestors intimidating Parliamentarians leaving the Parliamentary Estate.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) works closely with the Metropolitan Police (MPS). PSD officials meet with the MPS frequently to discuss anticipated or ongoing issues, which can include intimidation of Parliamentarians and staff by protestors when entering and leaving the estate.PSD holds a weekly meeting with the MPS, Black Rod and the Serjeant at Arms to assess forthcoming events for potential issues around access and security, enabling PSD and MPS responses to be updated accordingly. For security reasons we do not provide details of security arrangements.When high levels of protest activity are expected, Parliamentarians are sent communications advising them of access information and security advice. Parliamentarians are also encouraged to raise any security concerns with the Director of Security for Parliament, and to raise access queries with Black Rod.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Disadvantaged

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyintendto take in response to their statistics and reports on the English Indices of Deprivation 2019,published on 26 September.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government is committed to levelling up every part of the UK - unemployment is down 1.2 million since 2010 while wages continue to rise at their fastest in over a decade. We’re supporting families with their cost of living and providing more support to the most deprived authorities, which now have a spending power 16% higher per home than the least deprived. For those who need extra support, the UK Government spends over £95 billion a year, including for those who are on a low income.  Following our departure from the EU, we will create the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a programme of investment designed to tackle inequalities between communities by raising productivity.The Government recently announced 100 places which will be invited to develop proposals for our £3.6 billion Towns Fund - 45 of these places are in the Northern Powerhouse and 30 in the Midlands Engine, demonstrating our commitment to the whole country. The fund will deliver transformative investment in transport, digital, skills and culture in order to boost productivity and sustainably raise living standards in towns across the country.The Chancellor confirmed in August that the National Infrastructure Strategy will be published in Autumn 2019. The Strategy will set out the Government’s plans to deliver a step change in infrastructure investment to support the UK economy, as well as providing a formal response to the NIC’s National Infrastructure Assessment. As part of his Spending Round speech, the Chancellor set out his ambitions to deliver an infrastructure revolution, which included a commitment to use increased infrastructure investment to support growth and productivity across the whole of the UK.

Non-domestic Rates: Appeals

the earl of lytton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 8 October (HC294199), when the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will (1) launch, and (2) conclude, its review of the effectiveness of the Check, Challenge, Appeal system; and whether business rates payers will be consulted as part of such a review.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government remains committed to the Check, Challenge, Appeal system. As the full impact of the policy can only be assessed after the end of the appeals cycle, my Department intends to first conduct an interim review of the reforms, with a fuller review following after the end of the 2017 rating list. The Government intends to complete the interim review by the end of 2019. The VOA is also conducting a customer evaluation of the delivery of the new system, which will include consultation with a range of stakeholders.

Department for Work and Pensions

Children: Maintenance

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to amend the legislation relating to the calculation of child maintenance so that such calculations are based on a parent's gross salary, after tax and National Insurance deductions but before the deduction of pensions contributions.

baroness stedman-scott: Our statutory child maintenance scheme calculates payments simply and efficiently, usually based on the paying parent’s gross taxable income. This information is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs for the latest available tax year. We continue to review the calculation but have no plans to change it at this time.

Home Office

Immigration: EU Nationals

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the interests of children of European citizens who are resident in the UK in the event of Brexit taking place (1) with, and (2) without, a deal.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has been clear that we will protect the rights of EEA citizens resident in the UK before Brexit and their family members, regardless of whether we leave the European Union on 31 October with or without a deal. This includes the rights of EEA citizen children and of non-EEA national children of EEA citizens.The EU Settlement Scheme will continue to operate as now for those resident here before Brexit and they will have until at least 31 December 2020 to apply for UK immigration status under the scheme. That status will enable them to continue to live in the UK and enjoy the same access to benefits and services as now.Applications under the EU Settlement Scheme can be made by children, or by a parent or legal guardian applying on their behalf, and can be based on the child’s own residence in the UK or in line with that of a parent applying under the scheme. We are paying particular attention to how we communicate the EU Settlement Scheme to children and are undertaking research in partnership with the University of Liverpool to develop age-appropriate communications materials. We are also working with a range of children’s rights organisations to benefit from their insight and use their networks to ensure wide access to these materials.

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government why organisations that received Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) support through the UK Responsible Authority are not covered by the funding guarantee announced on 12 September in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and what consideration has been given to making alternative funding available to charities at risk of losing their AMIF funding.

baroness williams of trafford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 30 October 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The family Immigration Rules set out the requirements to be met to allow any adult dependant relative of a British citizen to come to the UK. The applicant must be outside the UK and in most cases, the sponsor will be in the UK.The adult dependent relative rules, together with the policy on exceptional circumstances, ensure that leave can be granted for those who demonstrate that, as a result of age, illness or disability, there is a level of long-term personal care required that can only be provided in the UK by their British relative who is here, or who is intending to return here with their dependant relative.The Home Office will provide the necessary funding for projects under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the lifetime of their projects, even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

baroness williams of trafford: The family Immigration Rules set out the requirements to be met to allow any adult dependant relative of a British citizen to come to the UK. The applicant must be outside the UK and in most cases, the sponsor will be in the UK.The adult dependent relative rules, together with the policy on exceptional circumstances, ensure that leave can be granted for those who demonstrate that, as a result of age, illness or disability, there is a level of long-term personal care required that can only be provided in the UK by their British relative who is here, or who is intending to return here with their dependant relative.The Home Office will provide the necessary funding for projects under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the lifetime of their projects, even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Asylum: Finance

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatcriteria they use to determine whetheran applicant for section 4 asylum support should be considered particularly vulnerable; what is the target timescale for an asylum seeker who is deemed to be vulnerable to receive that support under Home Office guidelines; and what was the average time taken for a payment to be made after an application for support by an applicant that met thatcriteria in the most recent period for which figures are available.

baroness williams of trafford: The Asylum Seekers (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2005 define a vulnerable person as:A minorA disabled personAn elderly personA pregnant womanA person who has been subjected to torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence;A person who has had an individual evaluation of his situation that confirms he/she has special needs.Accommodation providers are also contractually required to take account of any particular circumstances and vulnerability of those that they accommodate. The definition of vulnerability in the contracts is the same as the one set out in the 2005 Regulations.The particular circumstances of other supported asylum seekers and their dependants who may have other particular vulnerabilities are also carefully considered, for example because they have care needs or health problems that require a need for a specific type of accommodation or accommodation in a particular location. Further details regarding these policies can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policyWe aim to decide most of these applications within 5 working days, or 2 days of the Home Office reviewing the application if the person is vulnerable, but some take longer because of the need to make further enquiries to establish that the person is eligible to receive the support.The Home Office monitors closely the performance of asylum support application decision making and has a range of targets for processing support applications depending on the nature of the application being made. However information on processing times is not recorded in a format suitable for publication. We are currently in the process of embedding a new system and reporting tools and once this has been implemented we will review our reporting processes,.



Accommodation Requests policy 
(PDF Document, 87.23 KB)

British Nationality

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that British citizenship is granted to stateless persons who fulfil the conditions of paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 to the British Nationality Act 1981 but who may be unable to obtain sufficient evidence of that.

baroness williams of trafford: To register a child under paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 of the British Nationality Act 1981 the Home Office needs to be satisfied that the statutory requirements are met, and will make relevant enquiries to establish the facts in each case.

British Nationality: Hong Kong

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in responding to the request of ex-Hong Kong servicemen for British citizenship for service to the Crown, following their meeting with the Home Office on 30 November 2018 and their supply, in early 2019, of the information requested by the Home Office.

baroness williams of trafford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 30 October 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The family Immigration Rules set out the requirements to be met to allow any adult dependant relative of a British citizen to come to the UK. The applicant must be outside the UK and in most cases, the sponsor will be in the UK.The adult dependent relative rules, together with the policy on exceptional circumstances, ensure that leave can be granted for those who demonstrate that, as a result of age, illness or disability, there is a level of long-term personal care required that can only be provided in the UK by their British relative who is here, or who is intending to return here with their dependant relative.Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, that was introduced in 1990 and ran until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen.We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.

baroness williams of trafford: The family Immigration Rules set out the requirements to be met to allow any adult dependant relative of a British citizen to come to the UK. The applicant must be outside the UK and in most cases, the sponsor will be in the UK.The adult dependent relative rules, together with the policy on exceptional circumstances, ensure that leave can be granted for those who demonstrate that, as a result of age, illness or disability, there is a level of long-term personal care required that can only be provided in the UK by their British relative who is here, or who is intending to return here with their dependant relative.Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, that was introduced in 1990 and ran until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen.We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.

Crime Prevention

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to prevent criminals exploiting a no-deal Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The continued safety and security of our citizens remains the top priority.We continue to work closely with operational partners, and engage with EU Member States, to ensure we are ready for a no deal scenario, keeping our planning under rigorous review.We will transition our law enforcement cooperation with EU Member States to alternative non-EU arrangements, which include making more use of Interpol, Council of Europe instruments and other forms of co-operation with European partners, such as bilateral channels. Whilst these alternative arrangements are not like-for-like replacements, they are largely tried and tested mechanisms that we already use for cooperating with many non-EU countries.Our law enforcement community have been and will continue to monitor, assess the potential response of organised crime groups (OCGs) to a no-deal situation.Our preparations include extra funding for the National Crime Agency to build resilience in their international criminality bureau and international liaison network.

Refugees: Syria

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to take in more Syrian refugees if President Erdogan ejects them from Turkey.

baroness williams of trafford: We continue to resettle refugees affected by the Syria conflict who have been deemed the most vulnerable by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and where resettlement has been deemed as the only durable solution for their circumstances. Over 17,000 refugees have found sanctuary in the UK through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and are rebuilding their lives here.Once we have delivered our current commitments under the VPRS, Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme and Gateway Protection Programme, we will consolidate these schemes into a new global resettlement scheme to start in 2020. We will continue to work with UNHCR to identify refugees for resettlement as we implement the new scheme.

Racial Discrimination: Football

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many football-related racist incidents were recorded in each year since 2009.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to investigate the possibility of increasing the penalties for football-related racist attacks and incidents.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the Football (Disorder) Act 2000 with a view to increasing penalties for racist incidents.

baroness williams of trafford: We abhor racism, which has no place in football and must not be tolerated. Racist chanting or abuse may be an offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act 1991 or sections 4, 4A or 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Offences under sections 4 and 4A of the 1986 Act carry a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and are capable of being charged as a racially or religiously aggravated offence. In addition, the court must impose a preventative Football Banning Order following conviction for these offences if making an order would help to prevent football-related violence or disorder. Football Banning Orders prohibit the subject from attending regulated football matches for between three and ten years and can impose additional conditions if necessary.Data on police reported football-related racist incidents for football seasons 2012/13 to 2018/19 is shown in the table below. No earlier data is available. During the 2017/18 football season, the Home Office’s UK Football Policing Unit commenced a new working arrangement with the Football Association and Kick It Out to ensure police are aware of football-related racist incidents that otherwise would not have been reported.SeasonNumber of police reported football-related racist incidents2012/13942013/14992014/15782015/15682016/17702017/18942018/19152We have a strong legal framework in place to deal with the perpetrators of racism and other hate crime. The Law Commission is carrying out a full review of the coverage and approach of current hate crime legislative provisions, including in the context of football.

Cabinet Office

Elections: Visual Impairment

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take toensure that their proposals to "protect the integrity of the electoral system" include provisions to ensure people with conditions such as sight loss are able to vote.

earl howe: The Government announced in conjunction with the Queen’s Speech that it intends to bring forward a package of measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. These will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including people with sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.

Elections: Visual Impairment

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the judgment by the High Court in May which ruled that the current method used in elections to make ballot papers accessible for blind and partially sighted voters was unlawful, what plans they have to reform that method.

earl howe: The Government continues to work with the Cabinet Office chaired Accessibility of Elections Working Group to make an informed assessment of the most suitable options to take forward. Work has been undertaken to revise guidance to electoral administrators and, with input from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to research technical solutions which will be further discussed at a dedicated sub-group. Officials are also due to hold a meeting specifically on this topic with the RNIB shortly.The proposals announced as part of the package around the Queen’s Speech, will bring forward measures that respond to issues raised in the Government’s response to the 2018 Call for Evidence on Access to Elections. This will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities, including sight loss, in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.

Elections: Visual Impairment

lord crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that any introduction of a photographic ID requirement for voting will not have a disproportionate effect on blind and partially sighted people.

the earl of courtown: Voter ID is part of a body of work this Government is delivering to strengthen the integrity of our electoral system and give the public confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century.We will continue to consult and work with a broad range of representative groups, charities and civil society organisations to understand the needs of all voters. We will also continue to listen to the Cabinet Office Accessibility of Elections Working Group, which includes in its membership the Royal National Institute of Blind people.We will keep Public Sector Equality Duty compliance at the core of our preparations and work with stakeholders as we take forward measures to improve the integrity and accessibility of our elections. These measures will include increasing the range of support available to voters with disabilities in polling stations and allowing a wider range of people (such as carers) to assist disabled voters in polling stations if needed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Racial Discrimination

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat racism in football.

baroness barran: We strongly condemn the recent incidents of racism in sport both at home and abroad. There is no place anywhere for racism in sport and we want it stamped out at every level of competition. The football authorities have set out robust plans to combat racism in football. This includes a consistent approach to stronger education measures, improved reporting systems and better training and support for referees and stewards - such as through improved CCTV for recognition of offenders, and expanding the use of body cameras worn by stewards. The FA have announced an increase of the minimum sanction for discriminatory behaviour to a ten-match ban. It is vital the football authorities continue to prioritise tackling this despicable abuse and we expect them to consult with both players and supporters’ groups as they progress their plans. We will be monitoring how the football authorities implement their plans through the season.We welcome the Premier League’s continuing commitment to eradicate racism from the game, with the promotion of their No Room For Racism campaign over two match weeks, that urges supporters to report discrimination. After the appalling incidents during the recent Bulgaria versus England game, the Government wrote to the England team supporting and commending their dignity on the pitch, and to UEFA urging that swift action be taken to investigate the incidents and punish those involved.

Social Media

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to introduce legislation concerning the application of augmented realityfilters by social media networks.

baroness barran: At present the Government has no plans to introduce legislation concerning the application of augmented reality filters by social media networks.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Food

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of food served inEnglish prisons is (a) organic, and (b) locally sourced; and what plans they have, if any, to increase that percentage.

lord keen of elie: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) purchase food commodities for prisoner and staff meals from a national food contract currently held by Bidfood UK. HMPPS does not require its supplier to provide figures relating to the percentage of organic and locally produced products provided to prisons through this contract. However, the contract was one of the first to adopt and implement the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)’s Plan for Public Procurement: Food & Catering. Regular scrutiny and reporting of the contract shows that the level of UK sourced commodities purchased is 52% (Country of Origin) and the level of small and medium sized enterprises (SME) provision is over 60%. Bidfood UK are committed to increasing the percentage of UK sourced products.